One thing that holds true for many of our readers is that you don't like to stay put! Read through the exciting travel stories written by Downhome's readers and perhaps you'll be inspired to take a trip of your own!
Katimavik and Labrador Inuit Celebrate One Year in Rigolet (3038 views) Rigolet, July 15th, 2010 – The Inuit community of Rigolet, Labrador and national youth service program Katimavik will be celebrating the successful completion of their first year-long partnership on August 5th, 2010. The ‘Katimaversary’ will be showcasing the community projects accomplished by ... click to read moreRigolet, July 15th, 2010 – The Inuit community of Rigolet, Labrador and national youth service program Katimavik will be celebrating the successful completion of their first year-long partnership on August 5th, 2010. The ‘Katimaversary’ will be showcasing the community projects accomplished by the youth volunteers, highlighting some of the unique cultural experiences participants received while living in Rigolet and recognizing the many efforts of community partners. The festivities will take place at the community recreation hall and run between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
“This is the first year for the ‘Cultural Discovery and Civic Engagement’ themed program across Northern communities in Canada and its success in Rigolet is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved,” says Rigolet project leader Kelsey Tonner. “It is truly staggering what fifty plus young Canadians can accomplish in a small community when volunteering for a year straight!”
“The Rigolet Inuit Community Government was very impressed with all of the Katimavik volunteers over the past year,” stated Rigolet AngajukKâk (mayor) Charlotte Wolfrey. “The young people that came here embraced our lifestyle, were eager and willing to volunteer and they left a number of lasting legacies and friendships that will flourish across the many miles of our country.”
Just a few of the many volunteer initiatives over the course of the year include painting the community church, cleaning up the boardwalk, supporting the Northern Lights Academy breakfast program, contributing to the town recreation programs, creating a homework club and supporting the community senior’s group. Projects underway for the final month include erecting new flagpoles, a town bulletin board, grassing the community field, constructing community gardens and supporting the annual Rigolet Salmon Festival.
Highlights of cultural experiences include attending an Inuit Elders Gathering, carving antler rings, trying their hand at grass weaving, moccasin making, drum dancing, Inuktitut and throat singing; trying local bakeapple and redberry sweets, arctic char, salmon, trout, caribou, moose and seal. In addition there were a number of one week or weekend billeting opportunities where volunteers were integrated into the homes and lives of families in the community.
Due to the overwhelming success of the project, Katimavik is looking at returning for a second year in Rigolet starting in December 2010.
About Katimavik
Katimavik offers youth between the ages of 17 and 21 an exciting six-month journey of discovery in two or three different regions of Canada. The program is based on the concept of service learning, which integrates both personal and professional development through volunteer work and group life. It focuses on five components: developing leadership skills, official languages proficiency, protecting the environment, cultural discovery and a healthy lifestyle. At the end of the program, each participant will have contributed an average of 900 hours of volunteer work – 35 hours a week – for non-profit organizations. Since 1977, more than 28,000 young Canadians have participated in the Katimavik program.
At the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, Mexico on the Downhome Cruise
We just returned from the Downhome Caribbean Cruise and we are delighted to say that we had a wonderful, fun time. One of our excursions took us to the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, Mexico. My husband, John, proudly brought along our copy of Downhome magazine for this photo.
Notre Dame
This is our most popular wine. It is made with wild Newfoundland low-bush blueberries, bursting with flavour and rich with vitamin C and anti-oxidants. The berries produce a beautiful ruby-coloured wine. Serve chilled.
Here I am with my Downhome magazine at Uhuru Peak on top of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres) on Jan. 21/12. Note that the old rickety wooden sign (see Bev Lane's photo from Oct. 2011) has finally been replaced.
My husband, Charles Smith and I have been subscribers to The Downhome magazine for quite a number of years, from receiving it in Virginia, USA, to moving to St. John’s in 2009, and now out in our new home out on the ... click to read moreMy husband, Charles Smith and I have been subscribers to The Downhome magazine for quite a number of years, from receiving it in Virginia, USA, to moving to St. John’s in 2009, and now out in our new home out on the Point, in beautiful Coley’s Point, Bay Roberts. The articles and submissions continue to intrigue and humour us and we await anxiously its arrival every month. In fact we have taken Downhome with us to the most western point in continental Europe, Cabo da Roca in Portugal, a picture of which you so kindly published in 2008.
In October 2011, Charlie made a business trip to Denmark. As per usual, the Downhome magazine has to accompany him wherever his travels take him, so this trip was no exception. He was determined the latest copy of Downhome was going to come face to face with one of the most iconic symbols in Europe, The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark! As you will see by the attached photo, he accomplished his task. He made the trip on a crystal clear Danish morning to where she lay perched on her rock, overlooking the bustling Copenhagen harbour. As is always the case with my husband, he can always find a link to Newfoundland from whatever country he is visiting. So you may ask, what could possibly be a link from The Little Mermaid in Denmark to the far-away island of Newfoundland?
Well, being the voracious reader that my husband is of all things Newfoundland (he’s an American), he had just finished reading the book by James E. Candow entitled “The Lookout - A History of Signal Hill” and was intrigued by what he had read on page 7 of the book.
“…Sir Richard Whitbourne, who in 1620 wrote wistfully of meeting a mermaid in St. John’s harbour.”
Could this well-documented mermaid of Sir Richard Whitbourne be related in some past life to the endearing one gracing the harbour of Copenhagen? While the answer to that question may never be known, at least my husband was able to connect the far reaches of Europe to the ocean waters of Newfoundland by the existence of two fair aquatic creatures!
We hope you enjoy our little anecdote. Keep up the good work!
My husband, Charles Smith and I have been subscribers to the Downhome magazine for quite a number of years, from receiving it in Virginia, USA, to moving to St. John’s in 2009, and now out in our new home out on the ... click to read moreMy husband, Charles Smith and I have been subscribers to the Downhome magazine for quite a number of years, from receiving it in Virginia, USA, to moving to St. John’s in 2009, and now out in our new home out on the Point, in beautiful Coley’s Point, Bay Roberts. The articles and submissions continue to intrigue and humour us and we await anxiously its arrival every month. In fact we have taken Downhome with us to the most western point in continental Europe, Cabo da Roca in Portugal, a picture of which you so kindly published in 2008.
In October 2011, Charlie made a business trip to Denmark. As per usual, the Downhome magazine has to accompany him wherever his travels take him, so this trip was no exception. He was determined the latest copy of Downhome was going to come face to face with one of the most iconic symbols in Europe, The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark! As you will see by the attached photo, he accomplished his task. He made the trip on a crystal clear Danish morning to where she lay perched on her rock, overlooking the bustling Copenhagen harbour. As is always the case with my husband, he can always find a link to Newfoundland from whatever country he is visiting. So you may ask, what could possibly be a link from The Little Mermaid in Denmark to the far-away island of Newfoundland?
Well, being the voracious reader that my husband is of all things Newfoundland (he’s an American), he had just finished reading the book by James E. Candow entitled “The Lookout - A History of Signal Hill” and was intrigued by what he had read on page 7 of the book.
“…Sir Richard Whitbourne, who in 1620 wrote wistfully of meeting a mermaid in St. John’s harbour.”
Could this well-documented mermaid of Sir Richard Whitbourne be related in some past life to the endearing one gracing the harbour of Copenhagen? While the answer to that question may never be known, at least my husband was able to connect the far reaches of Europe to the ocean waters of Newfoundland by the existence of two fair aquatic creatures!
We hope you enjoy our little anecdote. Keep up the good work!
With my new bride Roseann in Santorini for part of our honeymoon. Santorini was actually a volcano that erupted violently around 10,000 years ago leaving a caldera filled with the mediterranean sea. Our hotel was actually inside the volcano...167 steps down to be exact. My family comes from North Harbour, St. Mary's Bay. Photo by Rod King.
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